This invention relates in general to seat track assemblies for adjusting the position of a seat relative to a support structure, such as a vehicle. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for such a seat track assembly having end stops that are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install.
Many support structures are provided with seats for supporting one or more occupants therein. For example, most vehicles, such as cars and trucks, are provided with seats for supporting the occupants within a passenger compartment. In many instances, the seats are mounted on the vehicle by two relatively moveable mounting structures. The two relatively moveable mounting structures allow the seat to be moved relative to the vehicle for positioning the occupant within comfortable reach of controls provided within the passenger compartment and otherwise increasing seating comfort of the occupant. Each seat is usually supported for movement in first and second directions relative to the vehicle, typically referred to as fore and aft movement of the seat relative to the vehicle.
Frequently, the relatively moveable mounting structures are embodied as elongated rails, one of which is secured to a floor or other support structure provided within the vehicle and the other of which is secured to a bottom surface or other support structure provided on the seat. The two rails cooperate to form a seat track assembly, and two seat track assemblies are typically provided for each seat. In most instances, each of the seat track assemblies has one or more bearings, bushings, or other friction reducing elements provided between the associated rails to minimize the amount of force that is needed to effect the fore and aft movement of the seat relative to the vehicle.
Most seat track assemblies also include end stops that limit the amount of relative movement that can occur between the two relatively moveable rails. Typically, first and second stops are provided on one of the rails of the seat track assembly, and a protrusion is provided on the other of the rails of the seat track assembly that extends between the two end stops. When the two rails have been moved in a fore direction relative to one another to a fore limit position, the protrusion engages one of the end stops to prevent further relative movement in the fore direction. Similarly, when the two rails have been moved in an aft direction relative to one another to an aft limit position, the protrusion engages the other of the end stops to prevent further relative movement in the aft direction. Thus, the end stops prevent the rails from being overextended in either of the fore and aft directions relative to the vehicle.
In some instances, the end stops are formed integrally with the rails of the seat track assembly. Although efficient to manufacture and effective in operation, seat track assemblies having such integrally formed end stops are not readily adapted for use in vehicles of differing sizes and shapes. As a result, a plurality of different track assemblies, each having end stops formed in different locations on the rails, are usually required to be manufactured. In other instances, the end stops are initially formed separately from the rails of the seat track assembly, but are subsequently positioned at desired locations on the rails and secured thereto. Although this avoids the need for a plurality of different track assemblies to be manufactured as described above, known end stops that are separately formed from the rails and subsequently secured thereto have been found to be relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture and install on the rails. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved end stop for a seat track assembly that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install.